Report says Curry County jail short-staffed, outdated

CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) — An investigative report shows Curry County jail officers placed an inmate in a cell next to a rival despite multiple warnings that the two be separated.

Inmate Jaime Perez was then attacked with a broom handle by the other inmate, who was awaiting trial on charges he killed Perez’s brother. A jailer monitoring surveillance cameras failed to notice the assault.

An investigation and report triggered by the June 27 assault revealed multiple problems at the jail, including its handling of warnings not to place Perez near Louis Guerra, as well as outdated equipment and records.

Guerra was later convicted of murder.

The report was released to the Clovis News Journal Thursday after the county changed its mind about rejecting its public records request.

The report written by jail Capt. Keith Farkas paints a picture of a short-handed staff coping with outdated equipment and safety systems, ill-informed about who they were guarding and failing to pass along warnings of a blood feud between Guerra and Perez.

It detailed multiple instances where jail staff was told the two needed to be kept apart, but only one of seven officers on duty that night said they were aware of the warnings. District Attorney Matt Chandler was among officials who asked they be kept apart, Curry County Undersheriff Wesley Waller said.

Nothing in Perez’s file showed he was to be kept apart.

“There was also no way to flag the inmate’s file,” Farkas wrote, “to indicate to booking officers that they should inquire into the file for special circumstances.”

In addition, a booking officer who took a call from Perez’s wife warning that he and Guerra should be kept separate didn’t make a note of the call or tell any other staff, saying she forgot.

Perez told staff twice that he feared for his life while in Curry County jail, once in writing. And a sheriff’s deputy who transported Perez from Parmer County’s jail to Curry County the night of the beating said he warned a holding officer at the Curry jail that Perez must be separated from Guerra. The holding officer told Farkas she didn’t remember the conversation.

The county originally refused to release the report, maintaining it was not a public record because it was created in response to a notice of a lawsuit filed by Perez’s lawyer.

County Attorney Stephen Doerr said the decision to release the Farkas report on Thursday followed discovery of unspecified new information.

Jail administrator Gerry Billy said the report led to a two-week suspension without pay for one staff member, written reprimands to three others and “counseling” with another. Brooms and mops are now being secured and computer software is being updated to flag inmates or alert staff of special conditions.